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This Is Laughable Truth About Trump’s ‘Tough Guy’ | Inside Trump’s Head

The Daily Beast | October 10, 2026



Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles turn their attention to Pete Hegseth, as the Secretary of Defense is facing mounting criticism over the Iran war while quietly positioning himself for a presidential run. They break down his latest State of the Force speech, which Wolff argues was designed to flatter Donald Trump and win over the MAGA base, and Joanna traces Hegseth’s tough-guy rhetoric back to his time in Iraq. As the war drains American munitions and the midterms approach, they consider whether Trump will make Hegseth the fall guy. But Wolff sees a strange possibility: the louder the calls for Hegseth’s removal become, the less likely Trump may be to fire him. And if Hegseth does lose his job, that may only accelerate his campaign for the next one.

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00:00 – Hegseth And Trump’s War
05:00 – Is Hegseth Fit To Run The Military?
09:25 – Hegseth’s Speech To Trump And The MAGA Base
13:50 – The Iraq Incident That Shaped Hegseth
18:20 – Why Hegseth Is Firing The Generals
23:01 – The Cost Of Hegseth’s Leadership
27:36 – How Hegseth Rose From Fox News To The Pentagon
32:48 – Could Tucker Carlson Run For President?
37:15 – Will Trump Fire Hegseth After The Midterms?

#trump #podcast #news

📖 Title: This Is Laughable Truth About Trump’s ‘Tough Guy’
👂 Podcast: Inside Trump’s Head
📺 Episode: 176
🎧 Format: Full Podcast
📅 Date: October 10, 2026
🎙️ Hosts: Joanna Coles, Michael Wolff

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Written by The Daily Beast

Comments

This post currently has 43 comments.

  1. @ollivihma1824

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    I have really enjoyed Inside Trump,s head. Now Im thinking you could be stretching it. Too many shows too often. Too much advertisments… Maybe I quit following. Thanks for many great podcasts… I will still follow but not so often.

  2. @gborg-15

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    You have indicated, Michael, that Trump will likely run a parallel Whitehouse from Mar a Lago when his term is over. I think it is in Trump's best interest to keep Heggers in and to possibly even back him ($$). Hegger's is a perfect candidate that Trump can 'play' with and manipulate from his Florida mansion if, indeed, Hegger's becomes President.

  3. @terrimitchell5616

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    Joanne, you sound like a crazed groupie fawning over Bundy. Who cares whether he has nightmares? He has unalived 100’s of fishermen in the Carribean. He has unalived 1000’s of Iranians, including 120 school girls. He will run for POTUS to stay out of going to prison for war crimes.

  4. @magicme5730

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    We may have lost the war, but once Trumpet is out, WE WILL HAVE WON THE BATTLE …!!💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟Thank you Joanna and Michael 🎉🎉🎉

  5. @AlexaRaymer-p9t

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    Trump & Hegseth have jointly initiated the most useless, destructive, & expensive FOREVER WAR this country has ever seen. They’ve killed innocents, started a worldwide energy crisis, depleted US weaponry, allowed several US bases to be destroyed & lied about all of it to the American public & our allies. If even one of Trump’s GOP enablers wins the Midterms, it’s one too many. & YES Hegseth is the WORST Sec of Defense in History & should be FIRED yesterday.

  6. @erikcharrier5943

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    19:39 I have discussed the issues around rules of engagement etc with a fairly senior officer who commanded Marines in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The problems were absolutely real, frustrating, and got Americans killed.

    At the same time, this officer was keenly aware of the dichotomy he faced with between “lethality” and good counterinsurgency practice. What the military needed was exceptional judgment on scene from the soldiers and officers. What they got was attempts from the top to issue a broad policy that hamstrung those with good judgment and wasn’t really a substitute for those who lacked counterinsurgency judgement.

    At the time I had these discussions, Hegseth was a nobody and he never came up. But it is not at all surprising that the lesson learned by many would be similar to Hegseth’s reaction rather than a realization that the clumsy and downright dangerous policies were an attempt at dealing with a difficult and nuanced problem.

  7. @TracyJones-n8y

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    Firstly an English immigrant criticizing our miltary and the War Dep when the English military is non existent is ludicrous. Plus her cohort who probably never served in the military is equally cringe. It's not a war it's a skirmish. Proof that our military is strong especially to the CPP. As to why it started. Iran was capable of nuking London her capital city. Before the President brought them to heel As usual America stepping up to save England 's bacon. Like they did in WW11. You're welcome.

  8. @delfinateixeiratamulonis8584

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    FREE to choose.
    “Peace, peace to those far and near, says the Lord.”
    Bible, Isaiah 65:24
    Putin's attacks against Ukraine and killing of Ukranian people have intensified since January 2025.
    WAR is the ULTIMATE CRIME against Humanity.

    ""The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials but the VOTERS of this country."
    Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Come November, time for Americans to CHOOSE.
    May they choose PEACE
    May they choose to forever be that "shining city on the hill", the "land of the FREE".
    🍀 the – best – in – each – other 🍀
    greetings from Portugal EU

  9. @DanaPauling

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    Bull crap, Trump may be a talker and self made billionaire. He knows business. So remember your king won't even let you have air conditioning, your king takes your money and rules . And soon william will be a young king that can't do it . And they are jealous of poor harry!

  10. @BloodGreenSunset

    October 10, 2026 at 7:38 pm

    The "character" was not toughened but was not identified as a liability early enough. Lethality is part training, sure, but mainly a mental state. The concept of numbness is a psychopathic approach to a difficult task, in my opinion. I surely ask no one to share that view, simply to consider the logic.

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